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Brexit

Ugh. I’ve been trying to avoid writing about this because a part of me was hoping if I didn’t acknowledge it it’d go away.

It gets compared to Trump a lot- mostly as a “guys, this could happen.” style warning. I’m 99.99999% sure that Trump is only running because he’s finally losing his hair and that he’s seen everyone be like “Poor Obama! All those gray hairs!” so he figures if he’s president he can lose it gracefully.

Brexit is just pure racism.

That honestly fucks with my head like a lot.

What kills even more is hearing about all the racist incidents that have been going on. They tend to focus most on the Polish and Muslim people so my example might not be the best, but here’s kind of how my head is wrapping around it.

Let’s break down how ridiculous Brexit racism is.

I have two citizenships- Canadian and Italian. When I planned to live in the UK a few years ago I would have entered as an Italian. So, if I was there now, I would be told to get out, and might be the victim of some of this nasty shit that’s been spewing.

However, my ethnic background is English, Scottish, Irish, and Italian.

But for my Great Grandmother being sent to Canada as a Barnardo child, a choice she had no control over, I might have been born in the UK. Not to mention that my history major cousin has mapped out ties in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well. (If you don’t have a historian in your family start like “encouraging” one of the younger ones. It’s great when you need someone to explain things or have the most detailed family history ever. She’s tracked us back to the Netherlands and France.)

If someone told me to get out of their country, called me vermin, it’d be like…

I think what I’m trying to express and probably failing at is that Brexit sucks. It’s reminding me a lot of Harper’s third term as PM of Canada- all the baby boomers ran out and voted while the young people got lost in the “it doesn’t matter” spirit of it. Maybe there are some things about Brexit that will help the UK and the racism issue is taking over because it’s just so damn disgusting.

I’m not out to tell young people how to vote in elections or referendums. Your vote is your vote, and it’s your personal beliefs and personal business.

I am 100% out to tell people to vote. Seriously. Vote in everything. Have you looked at municipal voting stats? No one votes in them but yet those are things like water, roads, and bylaws that affect you every day. Take every opportunity to make your voice count because sadly, posting it on facebook doesn’t count. When young people don’t vote we’re letting our parents control our lives. It’s like getting a bedtime all over again. But a bedtime that sucks much harder.

It’s estimated that 25-32% of people in the 18-24 year old range voted in the Brexit referendum.

I wonder what would have happened if people cared as much about the issue before the referendum as they seem to after. I hope they feel guilty for not voting in something that I desperately wish I was given a say in.